I found myself fascinated with all the year-end reviews and predictions of the past few weeks. Here are my favorites. Although not all ten and not all numbered, I hope it helps you reflect on the old year, prepare for the new year, or at least provide a few good laughs.

1. New York Times Magazine Ninth Annual Year in Ideas. The new legal ideas include lunar legalism; the cul-de-sac ban; and cognitive illiberalism following research after the Supreme Court’s 2007 Scott v. Harris case about the right to a jury trial (Harris was rendered quadriplegic after the police rammed his car to end a high-speed chase).

2. Five Best Motions of the Year. When practicing in Florida, wear appropriate shoes.3. Pioneer Press Predictions for 2010. From the governor race to housing, with some interesting local observations about Maplewood, Washington and Dakota counties, and Hudson.

4. Ten Trends Lawyers Need to Follow in the Next Decade. Embrace these changes for technology in your practice.

5. Top Legal Blogs via Dennis Kennedy’s Blawggies and the ABA Journal Blawg 100. Maybe we’ll do Minnesota Blawggies in the future.

6. The Three Biggest Tax Stories of 2009. How can I resist a nod to the current—although likely temporary—disappearance of the estate tax?

7. 100 Firms with the Highest Concentration of Female Partners. Okay this isn’t exactly a Top 10 List, but this is important.  Although only a few local firms are on the list, the takeaway point is that even the top ranked firm only has 34.8% women partners.

8. Web Law Predictions for 2010.  2010 will be the Year of the Tablet.

9. Above the Law’s 10 Most Popular Stories of 2009. Many blogs recently posted their 10 most popular stories of the year, but Above The Law’s list is a mixture of gossip and humor that somehow captures the essence of 2009 for us.

10. Top ‘Top 10’ Lists of 2009 from Legal Blog Watch. Yes, really.  My Top 10 has a Top 10 Top 10 list.  At least his are all law-related.  Highlights are The Weirdest Cases of 2009, and Top 10 Legal Ethics Stories of 2009, and the Top 10 Expert Rulings of 2009.

If you’re looking for more lists, Minn Post rounds up a few more places where Minnesota made it onto year-end lists.  My favorite: The Year in Media Errors and Corrections with the Minnesota Daily correction “Carlson admitted he had lied about officiating tennis in the Beijing Olympics, and had also lied about growing up in England and having a personal connection to the Clintons. Hillary Clinton never shared her crème brulee torte with him.”

Posted by Andrea Hable